Roasting Coffee in a Popcorn Popper – Roast Coffee at Home!

If you are reading this then I’m almost certain that you are a budget-friendly person just like me! As being a big-time miser myself, I always try to find the cheap alternatives to achieve something.

Besides being a cheapskate I’m a big time coffee lover as well. It’s been years since I’ve been brewing my own coffee. But a few months earlier, I decided to take my love for coffee to the next level.

By roasting coffee beans on my own!

At first, I tried various methods mentioned on the internet including roasting in a pan, oven etc. It took me a while to find out the best of them all. But as soon as I roasted my first batch of coffee using an old popcorn popper, I knew that I found the perfect one.

Thus here, I will be guiding you how to roast a perfect batch of coffee beans using a popcorn popper right at home!

Roasting Coffee in a Popcorn Popper!

It may sound a little odd, but roasting coffee beans in a popcorn popper is almost a foolproof method. If you follow proper process then you’ll surely get the desired results.

What Will You Need?

To roast coffee in a popcorn popper you will need following things:

• Green coffee beans
• Popcorn popper
• A cup to measure the beans
• Thermometer(optional)
• Colander
• Spoon

Roasting Process

Now, as I presume you’ve already grabbed the necessary equipment, let us begin.

i. Measure the Coffee Beans

Firstly, measure the coffee beans using a cup. Make sure to keep enough open space as a lot of chaff will be popping out. The measure of coffee beans depends upon the capacity of your popcorn popper. Ideally, it should be able to take 1/2 or 3/4 cup of coffee beans.

Also, you can always check if you’ve used the right amount of coffee beans and adjust the amount next time.

ii. Start Roasting

Now if you have put the beans in the popcorn popper, it is time to let the roasting begin. Once put in the machine, the coffee bean chaff will start popping out.

Also, some beans may also pop out as it is just the beginning of the process. But do not worry and let it be. The popping will automatically stop when the beans heat up.

Keep stirring the coffee beans with a spoon while performing this process. This will ensure you an even coffee roast.

Remember, as the process goes further more and more chaff will start to pop out. And when it happens it is time for you to close the lid of the popcorn popper.

iii. Hear the Cracks

Close the lid of the popcorn popper and try to listen to the coffee beans cracking. This cracking will help you to determine at which stage the coffee roasting has reached.

The first crack means that the beans have surpassed the light roast. And the second crack indicates that the beans have started to get the dark roast.

iv. Check the Colour

Keep on looking at the coffee bean color. After you hear the crack, the color will help you to determine if the roasting has completed.

For example, once you hear the second crack you know that the coffee beans have reached the dark roast. Now you just need to look for the perfect dark color on the beans.

Approximately, the whole process may take around 4 minutes to complete.

v. Cool them Down

Once reached the desired roasting point. Immediately take the coffee beans out of the popper. Put them in a colander and start shaking in a circular motion in order to cool down the beans.

This is an important step as you can easily ruin a well-roasted batch by not cooling it down. If not cooled down immediately, the coffee beans will keep on cooking because of the heat contained inside.

And voila! You have your home roasted coffee beans right there!

vi. Store

The final thing left is to store the roasted coffee beans. Now it is important to let the coffee rest for at least a day in my opinion in order to let them emit CO2 and get developed.

Pour the coffee beans into a zip-lock bag and let it rest for a day.

Is Buying a Coffee Roaster Necessary?

It’s a tricky question being a coffee lover myself. But in my opinion, it is not. There are plenty of popcorn poppers available in the market at cheap rates which you can use to roast your coffee.

Although a popcorn popper might not give the same excellent results as a dedicated coffee roaster, yet with a little practice you can produce pretty impressive results. In addition, it allows you to pop your popcorns as well for the movie nights!

Most of the coffee roasters in the market are pretty costly. Being a home user it might not be feasible.

However, if you are a die-hard coffee fan and would like to invest in a good quality product then you may buy a coffee roaster.

Alternative Methods to Roast Coffee at Home

Here are some other ways of roasting coffee beans at home that a lot of people like to use. More about these methods in some later post.

1. Buying a Handy Coffee Roaster
2. Roasting Coffee in a Pan
3. Roasting Coffee in Oven
4. With Dedicated Home Coffee Roaster

Conclusion

Just like everything else in the world, at first roasting coffee beans at home may sound like a pretty difficult job. But as soon as you get used to it, you will be doing it like a real Pro.

It’s just a simple process with a few things to keep an eye on which we have already mentioned in this article for you. So keep on roasting and practicing it more often.

Also, if you have any query related to this article or any other thing regarding roasting coffee beans at home, just shoot. Because at CoffeeMakered, all we desire is a perfect cup of coffee in your hand!

Till then keep on brewing it like a barista!